Monday, November 5, 2012


Grilled Flank Steak Pinwheels


These are so easy to make and the flavor is amazing. I make the roll the night before so dinner takes less than 15 minutes the next day! Even the kids ate this (my daughter thinks the filling is herbed cheese because she "doesn't like spinach")


  • Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil)
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons light herbed cheese spread, such as Boursin (see Variation)
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:



Preheat grill to high.

Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; pour boiling water over them and let steep until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and chop.

Meanwhile, place steak between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound each side of the steak thoroughly with the pointed side of a meat mallet until the steak is an even 1/4-inch thickness.

Rub garlic all over one side of the steak. Spread cheese lengthwise in a 3-inch-wide strip down the middle of the steak. Top with the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Starting at one edge of a long side, roll the steak up tightly, tucking in the filling as you go.

Carefully rub salt and pepper all over the outside of the steak roll. Turn the roll so the overlapping edge is on top. Push 8 skewers, evenly spaced, through the roll, close to the overlapping edge to hold the roll together. Slice the roll into 8 equal portions, roughly 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, with a skewer in each. Lay the slices on their sides and push the skewer through so it sticks out about 1 inch.

Oil the grill rack. Grill the pinwheels 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Use a spatula when turning them to prevent too much filling from falling out. (Don't worry if the ends of the skewers burn. They will still hold the pinwheels together.) Remove the skewers; let the pinwheels rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Double Chocolate Lava Cake



Thank you Betty Crocker for this great recipe. It's a strange concoction but the end result is amazing. 


Ingredients:

1
  cup Gold Medal® white whole wheat flour
3/4  
cup granulated sugar
2
  tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
2
  teaspoons baking powder
1/4  
teaspoon salt
1/2  
cup milk
3
  tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1
  teaspoon vanilla
1
  cup semisweet, bittersweet or milk chocolate chips (6 oz)
1/2  
cup packed brown sugar
1/4
  cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 3/4
cups very hot water
  Ice cream, if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In ungreased 9-inch square pan, mix flour, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk, butter and vanilla with fork until smooth, making sure to incorporate dry ingredients in corners of pan. Stir in chocolate chips.2

Spread batter in pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Pour hot water evenly over batter.

Bake about 40 minutes or until top is dry. Cool 10 minutes. Spoon warm cake into dessert dishes. Spoon sauce from pan onto each serving. Top with ice cream.


Baked Sticky Chicken Legs



I created this recipe one day when me kids asked to go to Habachi and we couldn't afford to go. I used a Habachi-like sauce to bake the chicken in and served it with rice.


4-5 lbs Chicken Legs
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed



Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

The Sticky.
Mix corn starch and water in a bowl until dissolved. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic and mix until well combined. 

The Chicken. 
Place chicken legs in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over chicken toss to coat. Bake chicken legs for 40-45 minutes or until juices run clear basting with the sauce every 10-15 minutes.




Saturday, November 3, 2012

COBB SALAD with HOMEMADE CEASAR DRESSING

This is a healthy and easily interchangeable recipe. It got my kids to enjoy salad night. The best part, you can use whatever ingredients you have laying around. Mix and match your families favorites.



Ingredients:

1 head Romaine lettuce chopped
2 cups baby spinach
1 cucumber diced
1 tomato diced
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1/2 pound bacon cooked and chopped
1/2 cup feta cheese (or your favorite cheese)

Directions:

Wash and dry greens, place onto large platter. Arrange all other ingredients in stripes on top of greens.


Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonaise
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic crushed
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Wisk all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow flavors to blend together. 
(I usually just serve it because I usually don't have an hour. Tastes just as good!)